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North West Youth Tour Preview

Event Dates: 28-30 May 2011
Promoted by CDNW | Event Listing

With just over a week to go to the start of the North West Youth Tour final preparations for the event are underway. The event manual has been sent out to all the riders and the final rider list has been produced which shows 312 starters for the 2011 edition of the  event which is promoted by Cycling Development North West.

The North West Youth Tour takes place between 28th-30th May. There are five stages over three action packed days of racing. The first day takes place on the seafront in Blackpool. The riders will race a prologue time trial and then race a long circuit race on a competitive course that has a steep climb and hairpin bend.

Day two will see the riders travel to Lancaster to race on the fast Salt Ayre Circuit, there are two short stages on the Sunday giving the bunch sprinters a time to shine before the race moves on to the UCLan Sports Arena in Preston for the final stage and the presentations of the winners jerseys.

The race will welcome 23 competitors from Europe including 11 girls from Holland representing two club teams, and two National squads in the Under 16 boys competition: the countries represented being Belgium and Czech Republic. Add to that the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, the biggest youth race on the British calender boasts riders from eight countries.

The Belgian national team are defending champions from last year although bring a fresh squad to the race. One of the riders who will be right up there from the Belgian team is Enzo Wouters who won the final stage of the Haspengow tour which is a round of the Belgian version of the National Series. The Czech team will also be very strong in the event and bring a lot of quality to the race.

Looking closer to home there are a few favourites for the event. Luc Hall (NW Region) has won the previous two rounds of the National series both at Hillingdon and Thruxton on back to back weekends, each time by riding away from the peloton. The current National Youth Champion who has won several Elite races this year is Germain Burton (Team De Ver), whilst another to watch will be Jacob Scott (Planet X), who was the winner of round one in Bristol whilst Chris Lawless (NW Region) who has also won a round of the National Series taking the yellow Jersey at the IOM Youth Tour should also be up there. Throw into the mix Jake Kelly (Royal London 360), winner of the final stage of the IOM Youth Tour, Jacob Ragan (NW Region), Oli Wood (Aire Valley RT) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (CC Hackney) and wit looks like the racing will be of the highest quality!

The Youth A Girls race will be an interesting battle with two strong teams from the Netherlands coming to the race. GRC Jan Van Arckel and WRV de Peddelaars both field strong teams. Corine Van der Zijden of Team GRC Jan Van Arckel will be among the favourites after winning the Omloop Van Strijen which the British Cycling Talent Team were at earlier this year. There are also two representatives in the field from the Czech Republic who will be determined to get in the race and mix it up a little.

Home grown favourites come in the form of Emily Kay (Kurzulaub Composite Team) who will be looking to take advantage of the flatter stages and was the winner of the first round in Thruxton, Emily Barnes (USE/SiS) who has ridden well all season and won the Hillingdon round of the National Series, Kimberley English (USE/SiS) who was the winner of the last round of the National Series at Thruxton and Alice Barnes (Kurzulaub Composite Team) who was the winner of the Isle of Man Youth Tour.

The Youth B Girls race in with the Youth A girls but the general classification is split after each stage. With 78 starters in the combined event it will be a great experience for all the girls racing in a big field. However the Youth B Girls will certainly be pushing the Youth A girls all the way in this event and have ridden well all season.

Amongst the favourites will be Grace Garner (Kurzulaub Composite Team) winner of three rounds of the national series so far this year, including the race at Thruxton this weekend where she crossed the line first out of both the Youth A and B girls and is the in-form rider. Charlotte Broughton (USE/SiS) won the Isle of Man Youth Tour and the hilly first day will certainly suit her as she goes for the race leader's jersey. Other riders in the mix will be Abby Mae Parkinson (Kurzulaub Composite Team) as well as Emily Haycox (Wales) who will be looking to mix it up in the flat stages.

The Youth B boys category sees 61 riders taking to the start line in what is one of the biggest fields that these boys will have raced in. Joe Fry (Welwyn Wheelers) won on Sunday at Thruxton and will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins as he takes to the start in the North West Youth Tour as he also won the Hillingdon event a week previous.

James Ireson and Jack Escritt (both Wolverhampton Wheelers) had a great race at the Isle of Man Youth Tour and will both be looking to get up there in the second Tour of the year. Aaron Swan (TSB racing) could be a rider to watch. He will be an unknown amongst the British field but won the all Ireland championship last year in his age category so we can expect to see him at the front end of the bike race.

The Youth C category is always a fiercely contested race and the 2011 edition of the North West Youth Tour will be no exception with 47 riders taking to the start line. The current Youth C national champion Tomos Owens (Mid Shropshire Wheelers) takes to the start and won at Bristol, Hillingdon and Thruxton and looks in great shape as we head into the 5 stage 3 day race. Challenging him all season and winner of the Isle of Man Youth Tour was Daniel Tulett (Hargroves Cycles). Daniel was very impressive on stage 2 of the IOM Youth Tour, riding away on his own to win the stage by 2 minutes and with a hilly stage 2 in store once again he will be looking to take the challenge to Owens. Jessica Roberts (Towy Riders) who has been in-form all season will be looking to try and take the overall jersey for the Youth C girls.

In the Youth D category race favourite will be Ben Tulett (Palmer Park Velo) who won both the IOM Youth Tour and Hillingdon race a few weeks ago. However he will be challenged by Kieran Morris (Mid Shropshire Wheelers) and the two Cumbrian riders Jonny Bouch (Border City Wheelers) and Matthew Egglestone (Beacon Wheelers). Anna Armstrong (Border City Wheelers) and Oliva Braybrooke (Eastlands Velo) will be battling it out to take the girls' prize in the Youth D category.

The youngest riders race are in the Youth E category, which has ten riders and will be a hard fought race that is wide open as series leader Matthew Baptista will not be taking to the start. If you had to pick a rider to watch it would be Bevan Smith (Maindy Flyers) who was second at Hillingdon. Darcy Cain (Royal London 360) will be going all out to win the leader's jersey in the girls' competition.

The race this year has had generous support from The Tile Cleaners (www.tilecleaners.co.uk) Graffiti Removal North, ARCO, Miche, Blackpool Council, Lancaster City Council, UCLAN and British Cycling. The race leaders jerseys are being made by BioRacer and look fabulous.

Lets hope for good weather and even better racing!